PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Matt Edgar (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and rich lacey (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Both these guys have really solid chins. Will we see a standup war or will they both decide that a knockout is unlikely and try to win the fight elsewhere?

Edgar
vs
lacey

170 cm
18
144 lbs
0 - 1 - 0

180 cm
22
155 lbs
0 - 0 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
Granite chin

BJJ Blue Belt
Counter striker
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 0 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Matt Edgar!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 0 - 0 - 0, fighting out of London, rich lacey!
The judges for this bout are Richard Clark, Andrew Berry and Donald Grub.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Both fighters circling a little - lacey finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.

Edgar clinches.
lacey wants a takedown.

lacey breaks the clinch and we're back to striking at distance.
Edgar throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and lacey counters with a shoot takedown. Edgar fights it but they end up in guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

lacey stands up and waves to Edgar to follow him.
Edgar looks to throw a body kick
and lacey counters with a three punch combo that has Edgar backing up. Edgar nods at lacey to acknowledge the strikes.
A slow jab from Edgar misses its intended target.
lacey lands with a hook. Edgar tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.
Edgar misses with a combination

and lacey counters with a shoot takedown into half guard.
This is a great period of action - very entertaining stuff!
lacey winds up and cracks Edgar with a swinging punch to the side of the head.
lacey working Edgar over with strikes.
Edgar is trying to get back to full guard.
Edgar trying to control here.
lacey has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Edgar is looking to regain full guard. Not this time though.
lacey wants to lay and pray for a moment but Edgar keeps working.
Edgar blocking the ground and pound attempt from lacey.
Edgar wants to get back to full guard.
Edgar is breathing heavily.

lacey decides to stand and escape the position.
Edgar clinches but lacey breaks the clinch
and lacey counters with a leg kick.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are showing their displeasure at the lack of action as loud boos ring out around the arena.
lacey connects with a nice looking jab.
Matt Edgar seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
Edgar tries to clinch
and lacey counters with a nice leg kick.
Edgar throws a head kick that misses

and lacey counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

lacey stands up from half guard.
Edgar gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Good exchange - lacey coming out on top.
lacey lands with a slapping head kick.
lacey lands with a kick to the temple. Edgar shrugs as if to say "is that all you've got?"

lacey shoots in and gets a takedown into half guard. lacey showed some decent athleticism there.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Edgar trying to control from the bottom.
lacey lands strikes from half guard.

lacey decides to stand up.
lacey connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

lacey takes the fight into the clinch.
Edgar softening up his opponent with strikes, against the cage.

lacey pushes off and circles away, back to the middle of the mat.
lacey uses good footwork to avoid the strikes from Edgar.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Edgar tries to clinch up

and lacey counters with a nice shoot takedown that brings the fighters to the ground.
lacey is in close to Edgar's body, working some short punches and elbows.
Edgar working the defensive guard well to avoid strikes from lacey.
lacey trying to control the position from guard on top but Edgar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Edgar not looking particularly offensive just at the moment.
As the round comes to an end the crowd are showing their appreciation for a great round of action.
lacey wants to control from the top but Edgar keeps moving.

Edgar throws his legs up looking for a submission but lacey uses it to pass to side control.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

rich lacey dominated that round.
That's time! Edgar's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

lacey tries to keep at a distance but Edgar has taken the fight into the clinch.
Edgar wants to push off and get back to the center of the mat but lacey has him pressed against the cage.
Knees in the clinch landing for lacey.

lacey breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
lacey lands a jab-cross combination.
lacey shoots in for a takedown but doesn't get it.
Edgar has his takedown stuffed

and lacey counters with a nice double leg into half guard.

Edgar is looking to sinch up a gullotine here but lacey pulls his head out easily.

lacey is looking for a kimura but Edgar is holding onto that half guard position, so it's hard for lacey to get the leverage.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Edgar is trying to stand.
lacey seems to be taking a bit of a break to think of his next move. He lands a short punch in the meantime.
lacey working the head and body with strikes.

Edgar has one foot on lacey's thigh - he pushes off and manages to get back to his feet.
Edgar throws a sloppy head kick

and lacey counters with a nice double leg into guard.
lacey has been the more effective fighter overall so far.

Edgar is working an open guard so lacey takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
Edgar throws a leg kick that is checked

and lacey counters with a nice double leg into side control. Edgar won't be happy with that.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Edgar is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked lacey off and has taken his back!
lacey is trying to get back to his feet but he's not managed it yet.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
lacey takes a big shot to the side of the head.
Will Edgar go for the finish here or will he try and keep control of the position?

Edgar looking for the choke from the back.
lacey breaks Edgar's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.

lacey stands up from Edgar's guard - lacey perhaps looking for a knockout.
No luck for lacey with that takedown attempt.
Edgar throws a body kick, spinning off balance

and lacey counters by clinching up.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

lacey breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
Edgar looks to clinch
and lacey counters with a low kick, right behind Edgar 's knee.
Matt Edgar is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.
Edgar swats away the attempt to clinch by lacey.

lacey scores with a takedown into Edgar's guard.
lacey prevents Edgar from getting back to his feet.
lacey trying to control the position from guard on top but Edgar is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
lacey would like to get this fight back to the feet but can't get free from the closed guard.
Edgar manages to land a sweep and now he's in mount on top!

That's four minutes gone in the round.
lacey is working to get back to half guard.
Edgar dominating with strikes here.

Edgar moves into side control, trying to work for a kimura. That looks painful! Will he finish!!?? No, lacey has worked his arm free - good work by lacey!
The crowd applaud the fighters efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Edgar wants to lay and pray for a moment but lacey keeps working.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

rich lacey showed his class in that round. I'd imagine he'll take it on all the scorecards.
The fighters get back to their feet, the hooter sounds and we're back to the action! This is the final round!

lacey keeps the fight on the outside.
A slapping leg kick lands for lacey.

Edgar pushes lacey up against the cage in a clinch.

lacey manages to break the clinch.
lacey throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
lacey with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
No luck for lacey with that takedown attempt.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Some wild striking there from Edgar.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
lacey ducks under a wild hook from Edgar.

That's one minute gone in the round.
lacey throws a nice looking combination but Edgar bobs and weaves to avoid any damage.
Edgar misses with a straight right.
lacey shoots in and drives through. Edgar sprawls well.
Edgar with a jab.
lacey misses with the combination.
Edgar is looking to clinch.
Edgar throws a head kick that misses

and lacey holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Edgar jumps guard but lacey stands there with Edgar around his waist. Edgar gives up and drops back to his feet. We remain in the clinch.
lacey tries to pull guard but can't drag his opponent to the mat. Edgar just stands there and leans against the cage.
Matt Edgar has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of rich lacey.
Edgar avoiding damage as lacey throws knees to the body.
Edgar looking for a takedown.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
My god... these two guys really need to pick up the pace or everyone will leave to go get a beer.

lacey breaks the clinch.
lacey circles away from the clinch attempt.
A head kick by Edgar misses

and lacey counters with a nice double leg into half guard.
Edgar works his way to full guard. Good work.
Edgar tries to land a sweep but no joy.

lacey stands and steps away. Edgar gets to his feet too and we're back to the striking game.
Edgar wants to clinch but lacey slips to the side
and lacey counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
A head kick by Edgar misses
and lacey counters with a quick right hand to the jaw.
A head kick by Edgar misses

so lacey counters with a double leg into guard. Good agility.
Edgar is trying to stand up but he's not managed so far.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
lacey trying to control but Edgar is working from the bottom.
Edgar wants to stand up but lacey is controlling him.
lacey won't allow Edgar to sweep him here.

Edgar is working an open guard so lacey takes the opportunity to get back to his feet.
lacey scores with a kick to the midsection.
Edgar throws a leg kick
and lacey counters with a crisp hook to the side of the head.

Edgar instigates a clinch.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are getting on the fighters' backs, as the pace has dropped off in the last minute or so.
Edgar has had enough of the clinch but lacey keeps him there for the moment.

lacey manages to break the clinch.
lacey thuds a mid kick into his opponent's body. That will wear on Edgar if he has to take too many more of those.
Edgar clinches but lacey breaks the clinch

and lacey counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Edgar can't get the takedown.

lacey breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.
lacey fails with a takedown attempt.
The fight stays on the outside here - lacey looks like he's thinking about clinching though.
Matt Edgar has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
rich lacey is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
lacey shoots in but no luck this time.

And that's the end of the fight!
rich lacey comfortably won the final round on my scorecard.
Well lacey has outworked and out performed his opponent in all aspects of the game today. He was simply too good and the decision should be no more than a formality. Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Richard Clark scores the fight 26:30
Judge Andrew Berry scores the fight 26:30
Judge Donald Grub scores the fight 26:30

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... rich lacey!